The Blood of Jesus and Baptism

The entire point of biblical history was to get to Christ. Man’s relationship was severed with
God in Genesis 3, and the only hope for mankind to be reconciled to God was and
is the Messiah. The scripture says concerning Jesus, “…Who Himself bore our
sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for
righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). It is because
of His perfect, substitutionary death that we can have forgiveness of sins. The
Hebrews writer says, “And according to the law almost all things are purified
with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).
Jesus had to be willing to die and shed His blood in order to pour out His life
unto death. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…” (Leviticus 17:11).
When Jesus was suspended between the two realms of life and death, He cried out
those words “it is finished” and then “gave up the ghost.” The key event in God’s
scheme of redemption had been realized.

Shortly after Jesus died, a heathen, Gentile soldier reached up with His spear and pierced
His side. “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they
did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear,
and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:33-34). This blood that
Jesus shed on the cross in His death is what cleanses us from our sins. This
blood is the blood of a sinless man, of the lamb without spot, of the Son of
God. The point is, Jesus had to die to give us this gift. Without His death,
and His resurrection, we can have no life. Jesus shed His blood in His death.

Jesus shed His blood for the remission of sins. In Matthew 26:28, Jesus said, “For this is My
blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew
26:28). Jesus’ blood was shed in order that sins can be forgiven. Without it,
there is no hope, no forgiveness, and no redemption. If one wants to be saved,
they must go through Jesus. Truly, He is the way (John 14:6). The forgiveness
of sins that can be found in the blood of Jesus also has the ability, unlike
the blood of bulls and goats, to clean the conscience. “For if the blood of
bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies
for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14). Again,
without the blood of Christ, there is no forgiveness of sins and there is no possibility
for a truly clean conscience.

When one obeys the gospel, they are said to be washed in the blood of Christ. “…To Him who
loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). Sin is
a stain on our lives that cannot be removed with any amount of works or effort
on the part of the sinner alone. The only thing that can wash away that sin is
the blood of Christ. The life that comes from that blood is said to be a gift. “For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Any work done by the one who seeks to be a Christian
is unprofitable if that work seeks to earn salvation. Salvation is a gift that
can only be appropriated. Christ did the work. We appropriate that work by
submitting ourselves to Him. Jesus shed is blood in order that we may be
washed.

Our points so far are as follows: Jesus shed His blood in His death for the remission of sins, so
that we can have a clean conscience, and so that we can be washed from our sins
by His blood. How then is this blood applied to an individual’s life? I propose
that one has the blood of Christ applied to their life by submitting themselves
to baptism. I do not view baptism as a work of man, but of God. “[You were] buried
with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God,
who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12, emp. added).

I hold this position because I believe the scriptures teach that one is baptized into the
death of Christ where the blood is, thus obtaining the remission of sins,
having their conscience clean, and being washed from their sins.

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death?” (Romans 6:3).
“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
“There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter
3:21).
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’” (Acts 22:16).

To me, this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that baptism was and is for the remission of
sins. There is nothing else in scripture that connects Jesus’s blood to the
sinner than baptism. Notice the previous arguments in a simple chart below.

As long as there are sinners on this earth, there will be a need for the blood of Jesus. Unless
evidence can be offered for another command that connects a sinner to the blood
of Jesus, then baptism will always and forever the way in which an individual
has the blood of Jesus applied to their life. As always, if you have any
questions or comments, please feel free to message me privately or leave a
comment below.